Protesters fighting plans for Redcar's Coatham Enclosure want the area made into a village green.

The Friends of Coatham Common have applied to make the Enclosure a village green, rather than the £55m housing and leisure mix proposed by Redcar and Cleveland Council and home builder Persimmon.

The Commons Registration Act of 1965 defines town and village greens as land "allotted by or under any Act for the exercise or recreation of the inhabitants of any locality; or on which the inhabitants of any locality have a customary right to indulge in lawful sports and pastimes."

Land can also be a green "if it is land on which for not less than 20 years a significant number of the inhabitants of any locality, or of any neighbourhood within a locality, have indulged in lawful sports and pastimes as of right."

In February, people opposing Redcar and Cleveland College's plans to sell off a field off Redcar Lane lodged a similar application with the council over that piece of land.

Now the Coatham campaigners, led by comedian and General Election candidate Chris McGlade, are also taking the 'village green' route and have pledged to "see it through to the High Court if necessary."

A council spokesman confirmed: "An application has been made to register an area of land in Coatham as a modern village green.

"The council will now consider the application and the evidence submitted in accordance with the statutory procedures laid down in the Commons Registration Act."

The Friends group will meet at the United Reformed Church, Station Road, Redcar, on Friday at 7.15pm.

And the next day, starting at 12.30pm, protestors plan to march from the field on West Dyke Road to the town clock.

Mr McGlade will then begin a walk to 10 Downing Street, where he intends handing in a 9,000 name petition against the Enclosure plans.

Detailed plans of the Coatham development went on display at a recent public exhibition, which attracted about 2,000 people.

The papers showed the proposed locations of the planned 285 homes and various leisure facilities, which include a bowling alley, 25m six-lane swimming pool, extreme sports centre and theatre.